Hope Again
by Joyful Call of Soaring Wren
Summary: The Great Battle with the Dark Forest is over, but is this really a time of peace? Is it safe for anyone to have hope again? What happens to the cats around the lake? Follow Spottedkit, Honeykit, and Hollykit through the aftermath of the Last Hope. Rated T to be safe.
1. Prologue and ThunderClan Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Bramblestar- Dark brown tabby tom

**Deputy:** Squirrelflight- Dark ginger she-cat

**Medicine Cat:** Jayfeather- Gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes.

**Warriors:**

Brackenfur- Golden brown tabby tom

Sorreltail- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Cloudtail- White tom

Thornclaw- Golden brown tabby tom

Brightheart- White she-cat with ginger patches, one missing eye

Spiderleg- Long-limbed black tom with a brown underbelly

_Apprentice:_ _Dewpaw_

Leafpool- Light brown tabby she-cat

_Apprentice: Snowpaw_

Whitewing- White she-cat

_Apprentice: Lilypaw_

Birchfall- Light brown tabby tom

Berrynose- Cream tom

_Apprentice: Amberpaw_

Hazeltail- Small gray and white she-cat

_Apprentice: Seedpaw_

Mousewhisker- Gray and white tom

Poppyfrost- Tortoiseshell she-cat

Lionblaze- Golden tabby tom

Foxleap- Reddish tabby tom

Toadstep- Black and white tom

Rosepetal- Dark cream she-cat

Briarlight- Dark brown she-cat, crippled back legs

Bumblestripe- Very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovewing- Pale gray she-cat

Ivypool- White and silver tabby she-cat

Cherrypelt- Ginger she-cat

Molenose- Brown and cream tom

**Apprentices:**

Seedpaw- Very pale ginger she-cat

Lilypaw- Dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Snowpaw- White tom, amber eyes.

Amberpaw- Pale gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, and right ear, amber eyes

Dewpaw- Gray tom, amber eyes

**Queens:**

Cinderheart- Gray she-cat, mother of Lionblaze's kits

Blossomfall- Tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Toadstep's kits

Icecloud- White she-cat, mother of Mousewhisker's kit

**Kits:**

Spottedkit- Tortoiseshell and white she-kit with blue eyes

Honeykit- Golden she-kit with amber eyes

Hollykit- Black she-kit with white paws and blue eyes

Petalkit- White she-kit with black flecks and paws, blue eyes

Birdkit- Black and ginger tom with amber eyes

Finchkit- Gray and white she-kit with blue eyes

**Elders:**

Millie- Striped gray tabby she-cat

Graystripe- Long-furred gray tom

Dustpelt- Dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm- Pale ginger she-cat

Purdy- Plump tabby tom with a gray muzzle, former loner.

**(A/N: The other Clans will come later, but for now...)**

* * *

Lionblaze was crouching down, ready to spring and catch the thrush he was stalking when a voice rang out, scaring it away.

"Lionblaze! Come quick! Cinderheart's started her kitting!" Poppyfrost shouted. Lionblaze jumped, then paused, processing her words. Then he raced towards camp. Cinderheart wasn't due for another moon!

* * *

**Hi! I'm Joy of Joys, but you can call me Joy. I hope you enjoy my story. I know, there are a lot of other "After The Last Hope" stories out there. I'm not saying mine is going to be any different, or andy better. I just hope it makes me a better writer. Reviews are greatly appreciated, especially constructive criticism.**

**~Joy**


	2. What's in a Name

**Hey y'all! Joy here, bringing you the first chapter! :D Shout-out to Blue, the Guest, my only reviewer for the prologue! Blue, I will try my best to update frequently. Just for being my first reviewer, you get to submit a name for one of Ivypool and Foxleap's kits! :**)

* * *

Lionblaze paced the clearing outside the nursery. He winced with every shriek or cry, as if feeling his mate's pain. Finally, _finally,_ Jayfeather padded out to meet his brother, nodding.

"You can go in now," he said.

_I hope she's okay,_ Lionblaze thought as he padded through the fen barrier to see his mate.

"She's fine," Jayfeather called, reading his thoughts.

"Lionblaze, meet your daughters." Cinderheart meowed from where she lay in her nest, watching the three tiny kits suckle. Lionblaze purred.

"They're beautiful," he said. "Shall we name them now?"

"Why not?" Cinderheart consented. She looked down at their daughters. One was tortoiseshell and white, one a golden tabby, and the third black with three white paws and one gray paw.

"What do you want for the tortoiseshell one?" Lionblaze asked her.

"Spottedkit." She replied. Lionblaze purred. After Spottedleaf, the medicine cat who had been killed in the Great Battle.

"I was thinking the same thing."

"You name the one that looks like you," Cinderheart told him, indicating their golden pelted daughter, who _did_ look a lot like her father.

"Honeykit. For your sister." He replied after a pause. Cinderheart looked taken aback, but that soon turned into a look of pleasure.

"Then we have to name the last one Hollykit. For _your_ sister." She said.

"Spottedkit, Honeykit, and Hollykit," Cinderheart purred.

"Perfect names for the perfect kits. They'll be the best warriors!" Lionblaze said proudly.

"Or medicine cat!" Cinderheart admonished, flicking him with her tail.

"Or medicine cat," agreed Lionblaze. _I'm sure they will be._

* * *

**So, what'd you think of Chapter One? R&R please! Seriously. It'll take fifteen seconds of your day. The first two reviewers will also get to name one of Ivypool and Foxleap's kits! (But PLEASE don't submit names until I've announced who the first two reviewers are!) :)**

**~Joy**


	3. Who Do I Look Like?

Honeykit blinked her eyes open, then squeaked and dove back into her mother's soft belly fur. It was _bright_! Slowly, she opened her eyes again and looked up at her mother.

"Cinderheart?"

"Honeykit! You've opened your eyes!" A large golden tabby walked into the nursery, and Honeykit squeaked.

"Cinderheart! Who's that?!" she mewed. "He's scary!"

"That's your father dear, Lionblaze." Now Cinderheart turned to the large tom, Lionblaze. "Honeykit's opened her eyes."

Lionblaze chuckled. "I see."

"You're my father?" Honeykit asked.

"Yes, little one, I'm your father. Look down at your fur. We look just alike." He meowed. Honeykit looked down at her golden pelt, then back up at her father.

"Do I have amber eyes, too?"

"Yes, Honeykit, you do," her mother said. Honeykit, satisfied, bounced over to where her sisters were waking up, also opening their eyes.

"How about them? Who do they look like?" she questioned her parents before turning to her littermates.

"Spottedkit! Hollykit! Hurry up!" She said, prodding them with a paw. "Lionblaze and Cinderheart are telling us who we look like! I look like Lionblaze!" she boasted.

"Who do I look like?" they both asked.

"Spottedkit, you look like Sorreltail, your grandmother, and Poppyfrost, your aunt, my mother and sister, but you got your blue eyes from me." Said Cinderpelt.

"Hollykit, you look like Hollyleaf, your aunt, my sister, except for your paws and eyes. The gray paw and blue eyes came from your mother." Said Lionblaze. "You're named after her, too, and Spottedkit, you're named after Spottedleaf, ThunderClan's long-ago medicine cat."

Now, Honeykit, before her mother could stop her, pranced over to where Blossomfall lay, having given birth to Toadstep's kits just a day before Cinderheart.  
**(A/N- Weird couple, I know, but I liked them)**

"Who are _you_?" she asked of the by one their heads popped up.

"I'm Birdkit," said the light brown tom. "And she's Petalkit," indicating his white sister with black flecks and paw.

"Cool! I'm Honeykit, and that's Spottedkit and Hollykit." She replied.

* * *

**So, what did you think of Honeykit? What will Hollykit be like? Stay tuned for more, and review!**

**Oh, and the two who can submit names are Snowdapple13, and Blue the Guest. If Blue doesn't, then I will ask the first reviewer for Chapter 2 to submit names... :)**

**~Joy**


	4. Family Ties, New Warriors

The first thing Hollykit saw when she opened her eyes was a tiny tortoiseshell paw flashing towards her.

"Aah!" she cried, closing her eyes and diving back into their nest. "Spottedkit! Watch where you're swinging your paw!" she said, clambering out and tackling her sister. They rolled around, batting at each other with sheathed claws.

When they broke apart, Hollykit asked, "What were you doing, anyway?"

"Practicing a move Seedpaw taught me," Spottedkit replied. "Did you know that we're related to her and Lilypaw? Brackenfur and Sorreltail are their parents, but they are also Cinderheart and Poppyfrost's parents! They're almost ready for their warrior ceremony, too!" She rambled. She had a habit of going off randomly.

"So that makes them... our..." Hollykit squinched up her face, trying to figure out how they were related.

"They're your aunts, my sisters," said Cinderheart, padding into the den. "Where's your sister?"

"Where she always is, in the medicine den, with Jayfeather," scoffed Hollykit.

Cinderheart sighed. "If Honeykit wants to be in there, you shouldn't make fun of her." Their mother scolded. "Now why don't you go have Sandstorm tell you a story?"

Before the two could pelt off, Bramblestar called a summons, and their attention was distracted.

"Ooh! Cinderheart! Can we go?!" begged Hollykit.

"Only if you stay by me."

"We welcome Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits, as well as Blossomfall and Toadstep's kits to their first Clan meeting. Though they are a bit young, I think they should witness this." Bramblestar said. "Hazeltail and Whitewing, are your apprentices ready to become warriors?"

That's when Hollykit noticed Seedpaw and Lilypaw over to the side, fidgeting. _This is their warrior ceremony!_ Hollykit thought.

"Seedpaw and Lilypaw, do you promise to uphold and honor the warrior code, and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"Yes." Seedpaw meowed.

"I do," said Lilypaw.

"Then with the powers given to me by StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Seedpaw, from this moment forward you will be called Seedfeather. StarClan honors your loyalty and bravery during all circumstances, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Lilypaw, from this moment on you will be called Lilythorn. StarClan honors your courage and aptitude in all situations, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Seedfeather! Lilythorn! Seedfeather! Lilythorn!"

The Clan took up the cry. "Seedfeather! Lilythorn! Seedfeather! Lilythorn!"

* * *

**Aaand, CUT! *Actors scuttle off stage* What did you think, reader? Yes, I'm talking to YOU! You! There! Staring at the screen reading this right now! How about a review instead of wasting _both_ of our time continuing to read this? No wait, keep reading. More coming soon, so scroll to the bottom, the little box, that's it, now, TYPE! Good reader! Hugs! :)**

**~Joy**


End file.
